


The Arcade Token

by Soldsoulpunk



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-01
Packaged: 2020-11-08 15:23:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20837747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soldsoulpunk/pseuds/Soldsoulpunk
Summary: “I want mine on my left ring finger.” He said this quickly, but calmly. Eddie raised a quizzical eyebrow “Your ring finger?” Richie nervously pushed his glasses up and blinked at Eddie. “Yeah, I’m married to the game.”AKA 18 year old Richie and Eddie get matching tattoos.





	The Arcade Token

"Are you sure you want to do this with me?" The voice of his best friend brought Eddie out of his own intrusive thoughts. "Yeah, I'm sure, it's just.." He trailed off, eyeing the tattoo artist and his equipment. Everything about this place felt dirty. Richie had assured him that he'd never had an issue with the guy, and that everything had healed nicely before. "I just really don't want to get a skin disease from this. Not for a tattoo of an arcade token at least. If I ever got a skin disease from a tattoo, I'd want it to be something different."

Eddie had never actually thought about getting a tattoo. The idea was brought up by Richie to the rest of the Losers. He wanted everyone to get matching tattoos before they left Derry. This was suggested back in March when Richie had turned 18. Now it was September, and everyone but Eddie had backed out. Every time someone backed out, Richie had made a point to joke about how everyone but him was a pussy, but Eddie could tell it was making him sad. They didn't want to leave each other behind, but they definitely needed to get out of this godforsaken town. Enough was enough, after that clown bullshit, Eddie would've been happy to move right then.

“I bet you'd get a tattoo of a heart that says mommy, wouldn't you? I would too, I love your mom.” Eddie rolled his eyes and pulled at the sleeve of his sweater nervously. The jokes about his mom were so old, but he knew Richie was just trying to calm him down. “Seriously, stop talking. I'm going to go first so I can just get this over with.” Eddie plopped down in the chair in front of the tattoo artist who began to lay his work out in front of him. Eddie had decided to get his on the inside of his right wrist. The little token was drawn out on some transfer paper and then was applied to his skin. The artist brought out the tattoo gun and looked at Eddie for confirmation. Eddie nodded and squeezed his eyes shut. Turning towards Richie who sat on a stool to his left he breathed in sharply as the needles met with his sensitive skin.

Richie leaned towards his friend and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You doing okay there Eds?” He asked quietly. Eddie peeked through his eyes to look at Richie, whos glasses had fallen down towards the tip of his nose when he leaned forward. Almost instinctively, he lifted his left and to push the glasses back to their regular spot on the bridge of the boys nose. “I'm okay, it just hurts.” He hissed when the gun pressed too hard on his wrist. His hand, still hanging in the air between he and Richie squeezed into a tight fist. Richie reached up and grabbed Eddie's arm and brought his hand into his own. “It's alright! It's halfway done!” He smiled and looked over at Eddie's exposed right wrist. The tattoo artist sat up, looking between his reference object and the work he had done so far. “You're doing much better than your friend did. Although, he did get his first tattoo right on his chest.” Eddie looked from the artist to Richie and then back again. “He has a tattoo on his chest?” His head snapped back to Richie, “Did you actually get a heart with my moms name in it on you?” Richie laughed and shook his head. “You wish. Shut up and pay attention to yourself, he's almost done.”

As the stinging sensation formed a final circle around the details of the tattoo, Eddie squeezed Richies sweaty palm in his once more before letting go. He looked down and smiled at the small reminder of his childhood and his best friends. “Woah! It's awesome!” He watched as his wrist was wiped down and wrapped in plastic wrap. He knew that wasn't going to stay on for very long, no matter what Richie or this guy said.

Richie took the seat next. “I want mine on my left ring finger.” He said this quickly, but calmly. Eddie raised a quizzical eyebrow “Your ring finger?” Richie nervously pushed his glasses up and blinked at Eddie. “Yeah, I'm married to the game.” Eddie reached over to smack his shoulder, but instantly regretted it, seeing as how he used the same arm that had just been stabbed a million times with tiny needles. Richie sat through the same process, but barely flinched. Eddie felt embarrassed to offer his hand to someone so collected, but he offered anyways. Richie nodded and grabbed is hand, he was shaky and holding onto him tightly. Eddie smiled and admired his tattoo.

He wouldn't admit this to anyone, but Eddie was really happy that the other boys had backed out. Eddie had been his friend longest, so it was special to have something between the two of them. Never mind the subtle flirting they had been doing for years.. Or at least, that's what Eddie had thought it was, he'd always thought Richie was cute. His never ending collection of Hawaiian shirts, his block glasses and the hair that got shaggier every year just spoke to Eddie. And although he was a trashmouth, and made awful jokes about his mother, Eddie had kind of hoped he and Richie would go away from Derry together.. But that was crazy.. If he ever spoke a word of this to anyone, they'd shut him out, so he would try his hardest to let go of everything to save his friendship.

Richie breezed through his tattoo like it was nothing. After paying, the two of them walked out of the shop, and down the street. It wasn't until they'd gotten to the light that Eddie realized he had left his fanny pack with his inhaler by the chair. Richie offered to go get it, but Eddie was determined to talk to the tattoo artist one more time.

Richie had changed the subject of his first tattoo far too quickly, Eddie was dying to know what ridiculous thing he'd gotten, and figured that the artist would remember. He pushed the door open when he got to the shop and the guy from earlier looked up, and nodded to the table where the bag was waiting. Eddie went to grab it and stopped at the artist, trying to get his inhaler out. “What _was_ my friends first tattoo?” He put the bag on the counter and the guy scratched his head. “It's gonna take a second to come back to me, but it was something weird.” Eddie pulled his blue inhaler out of the bag and took a puff of it. The guy across the counter looked at the inhaler and pointed. “Oh! It was something like that! But he had me put a ribbon around it that said loser or something.” Eddie froze with the inhaler at his lips. “Oh, neat. Okay thanks!” Eddie grabbed the bag and ran out of there, taking another puff as he ran out of the shop. His cheeks were burning red when he got back to Richie.

“Dude slow down! You look like you're about to pass out!” Richie grabbed him by his shoulders and looked at him, searching for an answer to the panic Eddie seemed to carry. “Are you okay?” His grip seemed to tighten a little as he waited for an answer from the boy in front of him. Eddie had to think of something, and he had to think of it fast. “Uh, I saw them cleaning up blood and it was really close to my bag, so I just want to get home and clean this.” Richie sighed and released his shoulders. “Don't scare me like that! I thought you were about to die.”

Eddie trailed behind Richie and grinned softly. Richie had a tattoo dedicated to Eddie, and Eddie was going to find the perfect moment to hold that over him..

That perfect moment wouldn't come for another 22 years.

“Yeah, I just added Ryu to the squad” Richie was sitting at the table with the other Losers. It had been way too long, but he was happy to be back with them.. Even if they were back to kill that fucking clown. “I just started getting tattoos of my favorite video game characters and I just kept going. I guess that arcade tattoo really started something for me.” Richie looked over at Eddie, remembering the matching token he had on his wrist. “How's yours Eddie? Add anything to your arm?” Eddie looked down at his covered wrist. “No.” He muttered “I actually got it removed.”

Richie's face fell. “Oh.. Really?” He tried not to take it too personally. Richie didn't even remember that his tattoo had a twin until an hour ago, it certainly didn't change the fact that he was disappointed. “That's okay man, I shouldn't have asked anyone to join me in the first place. I was already used to it.” He laughed a little and put his hand over his heart where his first tattoo was placed. “I picked a stupid spot for my first.” Eddie's head snapped up, it was coming back to him. The other Losers looked around the table at each other, Bev was the first to ask. “What _is _your first tattoo, Richie? I wasn't here, so I've never been told.” Richie could feel his face heat up. All eyes were on him. “Come to think of it, you never showed me either, Rich.” Mike chimed in. Bill and Ben nodded in agreement.

“Oh c'mon guys, you're really going to pressure me into flashing you all in the middle of a restaurant?” They all nodded. Eddie leaned in closer to Richie. “What, are you going to be a pussy about it, or should I just tell them what we both know?” Richie's eyes flash over to Eddie, he's confused, he's never told anyone in this group what his first tattoo was. It had been such a well kept secret! But he was also terrified, the tone in Eddie's voice sent a chill down his spine. _What the hell does he know?_ His mind was racing, How would he have found out? Richie tried to remember what had happened that day, but Eddie spoke again. “He never got a tattoo on his chest. He just said he did to try and get all of us to join him.” The panic hadn't entirely dissipated, but he was pleased to know he wouldn't have to show everyone what he had gotten. “You got me!” He laughed, holding his hands up in the air in surrender.

_What the fuck?_

Richie spent most of the night trying to remember their visit to the tattoo shop, but he couldn't for the life of him remember. Everyone left the restaurant and headed back to the boarding house. Richie sat at his desk in his room, trying to go over material for his tour in the coming weeks, but his mind kept wandering. He couldn't stop remembering how it felt to hold Eddie's hand that day. He couldn't stop remembering how he got the token on his ring finger, hoping to make a statement. “Oh for the love of god, I'm so stupid!” Richie spoke out loud. He leaned forward with his head in his hands until he heard a knock at the door. “Richie? It's Eddie, can I come in?”

Richie looked at the door and froze. He opened his mouth to talk, but no words came out. He stood up, adjusted the papers on his desk and walked over to the door. He took a deep breath before reaching for the cold door knob and pulling the door open. “Hey Eds, whats up?” He smiled and pushed his glasses back up his nose. Eddie smiled “I wanted to talk to you about something.” Richie nodded and gestured for him to come into his room. “What can I do for ya, Spagheds?” Eddie closed the door behind him, he was fidgety, which wasn't unusual, but he seemed extra nervous. “I know what your first tattoo is, and I need you to show it to me before I say my next thing.”

Richie was shocked, Eddie knew? “No way you know, you're trying to trick me.” Eddie raised an eyebrow “It's my blue fuckin inhaler. Show me damn it.” Richie felt the color drain from his face. He knew? How did he know? Richie fumbled with the neck line of his shirt and pulled it down to the left so Eddie could see the tattoo. It was the blue inhaler alright, with the word Loser with the bright red v over the s under it. Richie looked down at his feet and frowned. “I guess you know that now, huh?” Richie looked up at Eddie for some sort of sign.

What he got was certainly not what he expected. Eddie lunged forward and kissed him, full force on the mouth. His lips were desperate to communicate to Richie what his heart had felt for years. Eddie grabbed his best friend by the shoulder and went to pull down his shirt collar too. “Right after you left, I went and got this.” Eddie had gotten a tattoo of Richie's old glasses, his tattoo also sported the Loser/Lover word. Richie looked from the tattoo to Eddie and back again. “You did this... For me?” He spoke just above a whisper. “Of course I did, doofus. I've loved you since I was thirteen.” Richie beamed “Even when I did the British guy thing?” He could feel his eyes prickling with tears “Especially when you did the British guy thing.” Eddie grabbed his face and kissed him again. “I should probably mention that I never actually got the token taken off. Myra wanted me to, but I just covered it up with my watch whenever we were married.” The pair smiled at each other and leaned back in for another kiss. Eddie knew what he wanted his next tattoo to be, if only Richie hadn't gotten his arcade token on his left ring finger, maybe they could match.


End file.
